Grants on offer for landscape and heritage projects

A scheme to encourage bids for grants for landscape and heritage projects is being managed by a local community foundation, with support from North Yorkshire County Council.

The grants are being awarded by the Two Ridings Community Foundation and are available to support projects that enhance the landscape, cultural heritage and biodiversity of an area around the Allerton Waste Recovery Park as well as projects that mitigate the visual effects of the site within the same area. The grants are open to individuals and businesses, as well as voluntary and community groups. The Park, near Knaresborough and the A1 motorway, is being constructed by Amey to treat the county’s waste and recover energy from it.

“We are working with Two Ridings Community Foundation on this programme of grants and there is an exciting opportunity to support schemes that could see projects to create wetland areas, improve landscaping and biodiversity,” said County Councilor Chris Metcalfe, executive member for waste and countryside services.

“The planning agreement for Allerton Waste Recovery Park includes proposals for a Landscape and Cultural Heritage Fund. The launch of this scheme will start to see the award of money for local projects to a variety of local groups and individuals and I hope that as many of them as possible take advantage of this opportunity.”

Grants of £100 to £1000 are available for projects that will make a difference to the area around the Allerton Waste Recovery Park. These could be:

creating or improving existing ponds and developing wetland areas
planting wildflowers and garden plants to encourage pollination
natural habitat improvement schemes, including clearing up invasive species
planting native species of trees to encourage nesting birds
replacing leylandii hedging and improving existing hedgerows
making improvements to the appearance of community buildings and village environments.

More information about the types of project the fund will support can be found in the scheme guidance notes and they include projects for work on the applicant’s own land or for work on other land with the owner’s permission and that provide some wider public benefit.

Information about the fund and how to apply for grants can be found on the Two Ridings Community Foundation website,
www.trcf.org.uk/grant/allerton-park-landscape-and-cultural-heritage-fund-small-grants-scheme. The fund will assess and award applications on a rolling basis, with no deadline for awards from the fund and applications can be made at any time.

A scheme for medium and large scale projects will be launched early next year.